


Dawning Light

by rock_lee



Category: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (Video Games), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Injury Recovery, Interspecies Relationship(s), Orcs, Romance, Teratophilia, Uruks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-07 02:27:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16399622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rock_lee/pseuds/rock_lee
Summary: She stumbles across carnage and death, but a small flicker of life still prevails. It is her oath-bound duty as a healer to help all who are injured, even if they are foul mouthed Uruks.[ set during the events of shadows of mordor | human x uruk ]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i have had this sitting around FOREVER and i finally decided i might as well post it and add to the pile of unfinished works that i need to finish dfghgfjgh
> 
> i hope u enjoy!

Ena nearly lost her stomach at the carnage before her. Corpses littered the path, already rancid under the hot sun. The Uruk… whoever or whatever had killed them had been brutal and clean, for she nearly tripped on a disembodied head more than once as she tried to walk through the destruction. She kept her eyes sharp on the corpses without realizing it – at this point, it seemed to be second nature whenever she stumbled across slaughters like this. Any sign of life would automatically put her to work, as her oath dictated. She grimaced. It’s not like she did not enjoy what she did, but when it came to the Uruk… she had been lucky enough to never find one still alive after a struggle. She detested how she would go about if she did manage to find one still clinging to life. 

She shifted her heavy packs once more on her shoulders and wiped sweat from her forehead. Núrn had such hot seasons. It was usually tolerable but today it seemed too brutal. She would love to find a nice cool stream after this and take a long soak-

She heard a groan to her right and her eyes immediately began searching among the bodies. She moved swiftly as the groaning continued. Her search was short lived, for she easily found the source of sound from an Uruk stuck beneath a rather large dead berserker. She hesitated for only a moment to watch as the live Uruk used one arm to try and push the dead weight off of him, his other arm twisted in a very unnatural way. He hadn’t noticed her. A closer look and she realized why – he was obviously fevered. Sweat glistened all over his filthy skin and his pupils were blown wide despite the sunshine.

She moved closer and grabbed the arms of the dead Uruk to pull. The living Uruk looked at her with confusion and stopped pushing to instead stare in confusion. Ena grunted and yanked hard until the dead Uruk was successfully removed from the other. Ena dropped the corpses arms and brushed her palms against her pants with a wrinkled nose. Grime covered her palms from only one touch! 

She moved back to the injured Uruk and met his gaze. He seemed to show some recognition of her race for he instantly snarled when she kneeled beside him. He held his stomach with his good arm and she looked him over. He was no threat in his state. A sickly puncture wound had pierced his stomach, but the flow of blood must have been stopped by the pressure of the dead Uruk. Now that it was gone, it bubbled with each labored breath he took. His left arm was no doubt broken – it jutted at such an awkward angle that she wondered briefly if it was even worth saving. His right leg bled as well from a deep cut in the lower thigh, but it wasn’t nearly as dire as his stomach and arm. Ena wondered how he was still conscious. The blood loss should have been enough to put him under. 

She removed one of her packs and began to dig through it. She removed a cloth and her water canteen. She set them aside and unsheathed the dagger from her belt. Instantly, the Uruk reacted to the weapon. “Fucking tark bitch,” he barked. “just like yuh lot to slit the throat of a dyin’ Uruk! Coward.” 

His foul tongue had her eyes rolling but she replied calmly. “I am not going to kill you, Uruk. I am a healer. Now relax, I am only going to remove the armor and cloth that is in my way.” 

The Uruk obviously did not believe her, for when she went to remove his hand from his stomach wound, he fought her advances. He was weak though and one sharp twist of her hand had his arm off to the side. She moved her body just as fast and soon, he had his good arm trapped beneath her body weight.

He continued to struggle but in his state, she was the stronger of the two. “Stop it!” She hissed, “The more you move, the faster you bleed out!” Her words stilled him and he glared at her with nothing but pure hatred. 

“Let me die, fuckin’ bitch. Would rather die than get help from the likes of you,” he snarled. Ena ignored him and instead got to work. He wore leather armor which was removed easily when she cut the straps that held it to him and his bare skin was revealed to her. She sheathed her dagger again and picked up the cloth and water from before. Quick and efficiently, she cleaned the wound of dirt and blood and then pressed the cloth to the bubbling incision. It was a clean cut like she expected. It wasn’t as deep as she feared, but still dangerous. 

With one hand on his wound, she used her other to reach into her bag and dig around once again. This time, she pulled out a small tin and set it on his chest. He watched her with hazy but angry eyes. She reached in again and pulled out a small flask. She flicked it open with her thumb and held it to his lips. He jerked back with a snarl. “Drink it. It will numb your body.” 

“Why the fuck would I want that?!”

She raised a brow. “Do you want to feel the pull and tug of the needle as I stitch you back together?” He hesitated but reluctantly let her tip some of the bitter fluid into his mouth. He swallowed with a grimace. 

“Tastes like shit.” She snorted and capped the flask deftly and set it aside. She gave it a few moments to run its course and began to one-handedly prep the needle and thread. Once she noticed his eyes begin to droop and all his body go limp, she removed her hand and cloth. The black blood had slowed its flow, but she worked as quick as possible to sew it back together. He gazed at the sky with listless eyes but she couldn’t have him fall asleep just yet. 

“What is your name, Uruk?” She said, half focused on the task at hand but also on keeping him awake. 

His eyes blinked slowly and he glared at her from hooded eyes. “Why the fuck it matter?” 

She didn’t take her eyes off her work even once while she responded. “It matters because I fully intend to stay by your side until you heal. I took an oath when I became a healer – I don’t intend to break it because of one mean Uruk.” 

He snorted and looked back to the sky. “Name’s Durbûrz.” She hummed in concentration. 

“I am Ena. Tell me Durbûrz, how did you get these wounds?” She felt him jerk beneath her with a growl. 

“The Gravewalker,” the Uruk said darkly. “That bastard ran us through… Nearly took my life if that fuckin’ berserker didn’t shove me outta the way. Idiot died and crushed me under ‘im. The undead bastard didn’t even check to see if any of us still lived. Just walked off with his nose in the fuckin’ air.” 

Ena tied off the end of the stitches and removed her dagger again to cut the thread. “The Gravewalker? I did not know he came here to Núrn.”

“None of us did. Surprised us real good, that stinkin’ tark.” 

Ena gazed a careful eye over Durbûrz. He returned her gaze. “I am going to get off of you now, but I will not be done with you for some time. As soon as I am though, I’m dragging you to the closest stream for a good wash.” 

The Uruk protested loudly, but Ena ignored him and continued her work.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am in love with ena, and also durbûrz. they are the BEST and also the smelliest

Durbûrz ached all over and the chill of the water worked magic on the dull pain. Or maybe it was the gentle hands of the tark who took it upon herself to see him back to health. Ena worked quietly as she bathed him and he relished in it. Her voice was pleasant enough, but he was too tired to converse with her like he did when she was stitching him up. 

Instead, he watched her as she dragged a cloth over his chest. He knows tarks are often offended by filth, which is exactly what his Master would tell them to not bathe. It was his Masters orders so of course, he rarely did (even if he did enjoy the sensations of clean skin). It was no wonder the first thing Ena did as soon as she could move him was take him to the closest stream and wash him. Hell, she even washed the pants he wore. They were laid out in the sun to dry now and she had provided her own hooded cape to drape over his lap while she worked. He mocked her innocence and she had promptly knocked the back of his head to shut him up. 

Now, he watched her in a comfortable silence. Ena was pretty… for a tark. Her skin was kissed by the sun and a lovely shade. Her hair was a dark brown, nearly black, color. She had it cut rather short for a woman of her species – it curled around the nape of her neck and fell into her eyes in a messy fashion. She often brushed it from her gaze while she scrubbed away at him. Her hazel eyes were sharp and seemed to read him all too well. He didn’t like it. 

“Lift your arm,” she commanded. He grunted and lifted his good arm so she could scrub the dirt from his side. They sat on the bank of the stream so she could easily access the water while also avoiding soaking all of the stitches she had done for him. He understood that but he very much wanted to just slip into the cool water. It looked so very refreshing, especially in Núrn’s unbearable heat. 

With a sigh, he dropped his arm when she pulled the cloth away. She looked him over before deeming him clean enough with a nod. He grimaced when he rolled his shoulder. His broken arm had been treated as well and laid against his now clean chest in a tight sling. It felt much better than before, that’s for sure.

Ena stood up and gave him a long look. He glared right back. “I am going to wash downstream. Do not follow, or I will be cross with you.”

He grinned. “I make no promises, woman.” Her eyes narrowed to slits at his words and his grin only grew wider. He found that he very much enjoyed messing with her within the few short hours he had been taken in by her. 

“Don’t think just because I am a healer that I do not deal pain as well,” she snapped back. She grabbed one of the packs she carried and pointed to him. “Behave yourself,” she commanded before she stomped downstream. 

He listened carefully until he couldn’t hear her anymore and then pitched his nose in the air. He could still smell her scent even though he could not see her. If he wanted to, he could easily follow her to where she bathed just to see her reaction. Instead though, he stretched out in the sun the best he could without hurting his wounds too much. His leg wasn’t injured enough that he couldn’t walk, but it still hurt like a bitch. His stomach wound was the worse – every step had to be taken slowly. When Ena forced him up to walk, she had to hold him close with an arm around his waist just to keep him from toppling over. It embarrassed him deeply that he had to rely on a female tark so much just to walk. 

He closed his eyes and released a deep breath. The trickle of the stream, the rustle of leaves in the wind and the chirp of birds… the sounds of a peacefully forest had him drifting off in the suns warmth. 

-

Ena slipped back into her clothing, relieved to once more be clean. The Uruk blood had stained her hands black but with some furious scrubbing, they tingled red instead. She shouldered her pack and trekked back to where she had left Durbûrz. She had been pleasantly surprised that he did not hobble after her to try and catch her in the nude. 

She found him sound asleep and at peace in the warm sunlight. She paused only momentarily to look at him. 

He was a large Uruk. Not quite as big as a berserker, but he cut an imposing figure. His skin was a warm grey now that it was clean. His skin was littered in scars- she had noticed the most prominent ones were his back when she had washed him. She wondered briefly how he got them. His face had a scar from his left cheek that trailed down to the middle of his throat. It was jagged, but none the less framed his face. A twin one seemed to echo on the other side of his face, only it cut through his brow and ended toward the corner of his lip. 

She peered closer at his face. She had seen many Uruk, but none that looked quite like him. His nose was flat, like most Uruk, and his mouth full of sharp teeth. His bottom lip was much thicker than the top and his lower canines barely peeked from his slightly ajar mouth as he snored. His deep set eyes were closed, but she knew beneath them were stunning deep red irises. His thick dreaded hair was long and hung down to nearly the middle of his back. It was a pain to wash the grime out of it with him barking at her to not pull so hard the entire time, but she had managed to thoroughly clean them. His brutish face was so much… softer as he slept. She thoroughly enjoyed the peace of his face while he was out cold – she doubted she would see it ever when he was awake. 

She sat beside him with a sigh, laid back herself and tucked her hands behind her head. Her view of the sky was slightly obstructed by the reaching branches of the tall trees, but she could still see the beautiful blue without any problem. Núrn was so beautiful… 

She woke with a start when she heard the grunt from beside her. She hadn’t even realized she had dozed off! It had been so peaceful and relaxing… plus she had been so exhausted from all that had happened. The sky was still bright, but she knew that within a few hours the sun would leave them. She sat up and stretched her arms above her head with a yawn – beside her, Durbûrz grunted when he too tried to sit up. His stomach ached and he grit his teeth against the uncomfortable pain. 

“Careful,” Ena murmured, suddenly crouched beside him and gently helping him up to his feet. He snarled at her. She touched him with such… kindness and care that it bothered him. He was so use to the rough and rowdy nature of his brethren; he didn’t know what do to with such soft touches. 

Once he was back on his feet and steady, Ena quickly helped him back into his now dry pants and boots. She then donned both her packs and threw a grin in his direction, which had him arching a brow. “What yuh smirkin’ about?” He growled suspiciously. 

She gave a small, sheepish laugh, “I guess I am just excited. I haven’t traveled with another in so very long, you see. It gets quite lonely after some time.” 

He rolled his eyes and growled when she slipped her arm around his waist. He wobbled with each step afterwards. “Ain’t good company,” he hissed. “I fuckin’ hate tarks.” His eyes flickered to her face to gauge her reaction, but she only smiled a little more. 

“Well, I hope you can learn to enjoy me,” she joked with a little titter of a laugh. “My oath as a healer won’t have me leaving your side until you are healed.” 

“That’s one dumb fuckin’ oath,” he growled. She hummed softly and together they started to hobble. It was a few minutes of silence before Durbûrz broke it with a question. “Where yuh takin’ me?” 

Ena shrugged a little, weary of his injuries and how her shoulders shifted his own arm from where it was slung over her shoulder. “I don’t have a home, if that’s what you mean. I plan on finding us a suitable den of sorts where we can camp until you are healed. Maybe a cave if we are lucky.”

Durbûrz blinked at her. “No home? The fuck ya doin’ out in the wilds?” 

Ena flickered her eyes to him, and he nearly reeled back at the bitter hatred he saw flash in her gaze. “I hail from Lebennin… I am far from where I once belonged. Obviously, we cannot travel back to that home of mine with you in this condition.”

Durbûrz had to rack his knowledge for a moment – Lebennin sounded like a familiar name to him, but he never did really pay attention to shit like that. He waited for orders instead of using his time to learn… “That far?” 

Ena nodded with a little hum. “Very. It has been years since I travelled the path back myself, but it is no doubt a time consuming one. Now do me a favor,” she met his gaze and he sound her eyes to be strangely guarded and cold, “keep on the lookout for some sort of shelter as we go on. There is a storm on the horizon – I would much rather be out of the rain when it comes, don’t you agree?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so what do u guys think?? are you liking it?? i think the orcs in the shadow of mordor games are really cool and fun to explore :)

Durbûrz, thanks to his sharp eyes, had easily spotted them a shelter uphill nearly two hours later. It wasn’t much – a rather cozy and secure hollow created by the strange growth of a tree. It had obviously fallen long ago, but it had not died. Its roots had grown back into the ground and its trunk, though toppled, had warped and began to grow at an inclination over the years. The hollow was beneath the thick trunk that warped against the ground. It had obviously been dug by some sort of animal long ago but Durbûrz ensured he could smell nothing inhabiting it now. It was a tight fit, Ena reckoned, so she set Durbûrz outside to sit against the trunk while she went in and furiously dug out more space for them. He promptly fell asleep not too long after.

It wasn’t until the sky began to darken with a storm that Ena roused him from his nap to gently move him into the space. He was impressed at the space she had created. He could easily sit up in it without knocking his head and her furiously ministrations had forced many bugs and critters to vacant the hollow. It was nice. She had even spread a blanket from her pack on a patch she had cleared of rocks and roots which he was laid on carefully. Her cape was bundled beneath his head like makeshift pillow. Once she had him situated, she went to checking his wounds after she took his clothes off and covered up his privates. 

He watched her work with curiosity. This human… confused him. She knew nothing of him other than he was an Uruk who was targeted for death by the Gravewalker, but she still aided him and had sworn to nurse him back to health. Did she not fear what he would do to her once he had control of his limbs again? Uruk’s had that vile reputation for a reason…! 

When she had finished looking at his leg wound, her slender fingers began to gently knead the tense muscle around it. He didn’t question it for she would no doubt have some smartass answer for him, but instead studied her more. She was very… small for a human. Then again, he hadn’t seen many female tarks before. Most of the slaves he saw were males. The females he saw were always being hauled off after raids, fear in their eyes as Uruks carted them away to wherever the Master wanted them. He didn’t know where they went, but he suddenly wished he had paid a little more attention. Were all females like Ena? Did they all hum softly as they worked? Did they all seem to radiate that warm feeling of comfort? It was foreign to him – he cannot recall a time where he felt so at peace in another’s presence.

He hadn’t realized his eyes were half-lidded in a sleepy haze until she chuckled a little. He growled. “What?” 

Her smile made him mad. He felt warm all over just looking at her in the low light… “You were purring. It was quite cute.” 

Ena’s humor only seemed to grow when his growl stuttered in embarrassment. When she laughed softly again, he snapped. “Shut it, stupid tark! Uruk don’t purr!” She shook her head but didn’t bother to stifle her laughter. Durbûrz felt that angry warmth come back with a vengeance, particularly in his cheeks. Her laughter had his stomach fluttering and he was worried he was going to vomit.

“You’re quite funny, aren’t you Durbûrz?” She murmured as she made toward his stomach wound. “I wonder if your fellows enjoyed your blundering as much as I do.” Her eyes twinkled when she met his gaze again. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth and he could only growl weakly at her. What was wrong with him?!

She finished her checkup just as the sky crackled with thunder. She jumped a little and he watched her move around their small space. She fiddled around in her pack for a while before producing a small flask and another blanket from the other pack. “Here,” she urged the flask into his good hand. He eyed it warily. “It’s for the pain. It should bring some relief and help you sleep better through the night.” When he did not go to drink it, she sighed and took it from his hand. She popped the top off and pressed it to his lips before he could react. “Drink.” He snarled at her which gave her an opportunity to slip the liquid past his lips. He choked on it and her other hand was wiping the dribble from his chin. “There we go! Now we can bunker down for a good rest.”

He growled when she sat on the blanket beside him, an innocent look upon her face, just her intentions written all too clearly in her eyes. “Lie beside me tark,” he bit out, “and I’ll tear your throat out.” 

She pouted. “But it gets so cold when it rains… especially as night!” She laid down and pressed into his side. He stiffened immediately. “We will need to keep each other warm.” His good hand clenched into a tight fist, his own claws cut painfully into his palm. She was careful of his slinged arm – she laid in such a way that she curled against him. “See? It isn’t so bad.”

“If I didn’t need yuh to heal, I woulda’ve killed you,” he hissed. She said nothing and instead pulled the blanket over their forms. 

“Goodnight Durbûrz.”   
-

The morning light wasn’t what woke Durbûrz, but the annoying sound of the birds. He wanted to stretch his aching body, but knew that wasn’t wise. Instead, he inhaled deeply and arched what little he could of his back. It gave a satisfying crack that had him grunt in relief. 

He peered over to Ena, who was still asleep at his side. He was surprised she was still asleep, but knew she was no doubt exhausted after hauling his ass around all yesterday. He watched her breath calm and deep, he watched the pulse in her neck flutter. 

Her thick hair was hazardously tussled in her sleep and now with proper light in their little hollow, he noticed all the dirt smudged on her face. He wanted to scoff. She had just bathed yesterday, yet immediately afterwards she did not find getting dirty just to give them more room in this temporary shelter. Idiot tark…

He decided to wake her a few moments later. “Wake up tark,” he growled and kicked her awkwardly. She jolted awake instantly and met his gaze. 

He should have expected her reaction. Her scream came fast and her body reeled as far away as possible in record time. For some reason, the reaction didn’t amuse him. It… hurt. Why did it hurt? 

“Shuttup!” He roared and clamped his good hand over an ear. “Stupid bitch!” 

She heaved back a sob and after blinking a few times to orientate herself, she blushed red in embarrassment. “Oh my…! Durbûrz, forgive me! I-I wasn’t thinking…!” 

The Uruk snarled at her when she clumsily crawled back to his side. “Don’t give a shit. All tarks the same,” he scoffed in an attempt to cover his hurt. Why did it matter so much to him? Why didn’t he want Ena to be afraid of him all of a sudden? When they had both fallen asleep at the stream, she did not react like this upon waking… so why now? 

He jerked back when her hand pressed hesitantly to his shoulder and his growl stuttered. “Durbûrz… please do not misunderstand. I have been alone a long time… I simply forgot I traveled with another and panicked. I am not scared of you.”

Durbûrz scoffed and struggled to sit up. She easily helped ease him up and whispered a soft ‘careful’ when he aimed to move to fast. “I am Uruk,” he hissed once upright. “My face… scares whiteskins. I know yuh lie ta me – you screamed because I’m… Uruk.” 

He tilted his head away from her and glared out toward the entrance of their recluse, but her hands cupped his face to bring his gaze back to her. Her face conveyed all too well her worry and sadness. He preferred her smile to this. “Durbûrz please, don’t be stubborn. That’s not the reason at all. Now listen to me,” she released his face and he noted the tremble in her fingers before she tucked them under her folded legs. “I was honestly surprised to wake on another. It has been nearly three years since I have rested with someone else. I was… Taken from my home in Lebennin – I had just set out from my home and was travelling alone. It was by your Master’s soldiers. I was taken as a slave. I grew to fear the touch of others. If I was being grabbed it meant only two things: I was going to be punished, or I was going to be... used.” 

A sudden urge of anger and possessiveness swept through Durbûrz. He wished he was at full strength so he could go kill whoever had touched her before. He blinked when her hand grabbed his quivering fist. “It’s alright,” she murmured, “I do not detest you for being Uruk. If you were one of the faces who had once wronged me, then I would, but I do not know your face. You are new to me, as I am to you.”

“How did yuh escape?” He asked, suddenly curious, rage stilled by her touch. “Which captain did yuh work under?”

“Grublik,” she answered with a shudder. Durbûrz felt such sympathy for her in that moment. Grublik the Flogger lived up to his name. He was glad he was never under his command. “I escaped with the help of another slave. His name was Thodan. He owed me a great deal – I nursed him back to health many times after brutal beatings.” She smiled a little. “He was also soft on me, I believe.”

Durbûrz quirked a brow. “Soft?” 

She grinned. “He liked me far more than a friend would ever.” 

His heart plummeted and he lowered his gaze again. “He’s your mate, eh?” 

“Oh goodness no!” She giggled. “I felt no such affection for him. He was simply smitten with me after I helped him. It happens a lot between patients and their healers.” The cold grip on his insides released him with a warm sigh. Ena was not mated to another human. That, for some reason, made him immensely happy. “He distracted some of the guards long enough for me to slip away. We knew of a resistance – I sought them out. It was not easy,” she mused, “but they managed to find me. They were under Queen Marwen’s rule and still fought for their home. They took me in, clothed me and sent me on my way back to Lebennin.”

“But yuh didn’t go,” he filled in. She nodded. 

“Yes. Before I left them, a woman in the resistance was gravely wounded. My oath as a healer kept me there with them. One injured folk became two, and then five, then seven. My hands became full and I stayed with them for a long while.” 

Durbûrz nodded. He knew of Queen Marwen’s people – they were fierce fighters, including the she-devil daughter Lithariel. He was lucky to have never crossed blades with her and her troops. “Eventually I had decided to train others in the art of healing. I wanted so badly to return home…” She dropped his hand and sighed. “When I departed from their care, I faced a harsh reality. The land between Lebennin and Núrn is too dangerous for me to travel. The mountains already provided enough trouble and now Ithilien has been taken over…”

She smiled down at him, though it was not happy in the slightest. “I am trapped here.”


End file.
